Moving from Documents to Conversations

Most of us have met with an attorney and completed legal documents that designate a medical decision-maker. Few of us have had a meaningful conversation with that decision-maker about our wishes. And what are my wishes and values, anyway? And how do I initiate such an unpleasant conversation?

Join Constance Holden of The Conversation Project in Boulder County to develop a plan for doing this important work. Your family will thank you someday.

Constance Holden holds a Master’s Degree in Oncology Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her long and rich career in hospice, oncology and administration served as the perfect springboard for co-founding The Conversation Project in Boulder County, a non-profit dedicated to helping individuals and families make values-based end-of-life decisions.

The Conversation Project in Boulder County formed in 2013, based on the nationally-acclaimed work of Boston Globe columnist and author, Ellen Goodman. Her project took root after she had the experience of guiding her dying mother’s care. Unfortunately, they had never broached this delicate subject and Ellen found herself adrift, not knowing what her mother’s end-of-life care wishes would be.

While 82% of Americans say that it is important to put end-of-life wishes in writing, only 23% actually have done it. An even smaller percent have actually spoken with their family about their wishes. Unless your family knows what you want, they are left with the distress of guessing how to best care for you. Starting the conversation is never easy – no one wants to sound gloomy or to upset ourselves or others, but families and health care professionals report that it is a relief when the subject of how we want the end of our life to look is brought into the open and our choices can be honored because of careful forethought and conversation.